Paper Heart
by HalfMagyk
Summary: Beautiful, deadly, and stoic: these words decribe Konan, Akatsuki's lone kunoichi and Pein's partner. She, like Pein, feels nothing...at least, that's what she tries to convince herself of. PeinxKonan oneshot.


A/N Hello, all. :D It's me again, the Akatsuki-obsessed one.

I just had to write a KonanxPein oneshot (If you don't know who they are, quit reading NOW). I love the pairing, whether it's possible or not.

I'm guessing that everything in this story can't/won't/shouldn't happen…but that's why it's fanfiction, right? If it's all disproved next chapter, we can always dream...and read fanfics. XD

And if it reads oddly, it's because I wrote it at about 10 or 11 PM yesterday and did some minor editing today. I mostly like it, but I don't know…

Pein, Konan, Amegakure, and Akatsuki are all © Masashi Kishimoto. He pwns us all.

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_She ran her hand through his auburn hair, loving the feel of it against her palm. He took her hand and pulled her nearer. She gazed up at him, studying his face for what felt like hours, until he lowered his lips toward hers and—_

Konan awoke to the sound of pounding rain. She shivered as the dream ran through her mind, embarrassing and wonderful and impossible all at once…

But that was why they were called dreams, wasn't it?

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and slid out of bed.

She was all too aware of the rain as she found her cloak and slipped into it. It was coming down harder than usual. Why…?

She shook the thought out of her head. It didn't matter why. It rained however he wanted it to rain.

When she was fully dressed and her flower was in her hair as usual, she didn't leave her room immediately as she usually did. Instead she sat on her bed holding a plain white square of paper in her hands and let her thoughts run through her mind. Without Konan even having to think about it, her hands began to fold the paper.

She thought about Pein. She thought about him at least once or twice a minute, whether he was next to her or not, whether she could hear the rain pounding the roof or not, whether she felt him there…

She thought about his plans for Amegakure, his plans for the world. She thought about what he was going to do next, what his next move would be, whether it would involve her or not.

She wondered about his plans for her.

She wondered if she had a place in his plans.

For all he said about her being his angel, his messenger, one of his most important allies, she wondered. She hoped.

Konan tried to stop. She tried to stop worrying, to calm down, to go along with what she had planned to do, do exactly what was expected of her. What Pein expected of her. Was he not her leader, her partner?

Her god?

The worries ebbed away.

She worked on getting rid of all thoughts of Pein. She didn't need to think of him right now, there were other things to think of. She was supposed to be serious, not caught up in such childish foolishness, such petty _feelings_.

Pein felt nothing.

She must feel nothing.

Not regret.

Not fear.

Not…

Then she looked down and saw the heart she had folded.

And she realized it was impossible. Everything was.

"Konan?"

She snapped to attention. "Yes?" she said, a little too quickly, a little too loudly.

Pein walked into her room. "What are you doing? You've usually gotten completely ready by now."

Konan opened her mouth to say something, but in that moment she became amazingly aware of her heart and its increased rate. She cursed herself again for not being able to control this part of herself. Pein could…couldn't he?

But seeing him, real, in the flesh, not a dream…

"Konan," he said sharply.

"I…I…" she swallowed hard. "I'm ready. Let's go."

Pein eyed her, but turned around and left the room. She followed, keeping close to him, trying to get something from him, warmth, his aura, a feeling…

He walked quickly. Konan sent him looks again and again, hoping he might look at her. Once in a while he did, and it made her feel like she was important, like she meant something…

But he didn't look at her. In fact, Konan could have sworn he was purposefully not looking at her.

Her heart ached the tiniest bit. Her mind tried to block it out.

The little paper heart felt cold in her hand. She half-wished she could give it to him.

They walked through the torrent of rain without a word. Neither one moved anything but their feet.

_Step, step._

Pein stopped suddenly. Konan followed suit, giving him an inquiring look.

He turned and looked straight at her. Her mouth suddenly felt dry.

He stretched his hand out to her and she almost flinched, but restrained herself, following his movement with her eyes.

Without a word, he pulled the rain-soaked flower out of her hair. His face never changed.

Konan was shocked. She couldn't remember the last time he had touched her, and she wasn't sure if it was the sudden absence of the flower or his hand that made the top of her head feel very empty…

She expected him to hand her the dripping flower, but instead he held it in his hand and looked at it intently.

"Beautiful…" he murmured, so quietly Konan had hardly heard it. Her never-resting heart jumped, but she realized he was talking about the flower, not her.

Pein's eyes shifted from the flower to Konan's face for an instant. She almost missed it.

He took her hand and was about to place the flower in it, when he noticed the little paper heart.

Konan's face flushed. She pulled her hand out of his and crumpled the heart, taking the flower in her other hand. She stole a glance at his face, but as usual, could not see a hint of expression.

And then his lips moved the tiniest bit. He was as close as he would ever be to smiling.

An instant later, he was back to normal, but his smile stuck in Konan's mind.

He continued to walk, obviously expecting her to follow.

Konan took a deep breath and decided it was now or never.

She grabbed the back of his cloak and clutched it until he turned back to her. She could almost make out surprise on his face.

She stretched out her hand to his auburn hair, imagining the feel of it against her palm. He took her hand, holding it tightly, but not kindly. She took two steps toward him and gazed up at him, studying his face for a few seconds before bringing her lips up to his.

He did nothing to stop her.

It wasn't perfect, but as close to a dream as Konan would ever get.

And the rain had finally stopped.


End file.
